Distribution taps are used in the telecommunication, cable TV and other industries to distribute signals. FIG. 1 shows a commonly used distribution tap 100. The tap includes a housing 1, a face plate 2, a plurality of service drop ports 3, one or more input/output/test ports 14, and one or more holes 16 through which bolts or other similar fastening devices may be passed to attach the faceplate 2 to the housing 1. FIG. 2 shows how a signal may flow through a typical distribution tap 100 used in the cable TV industry. The signal may be carried on a line-in 17A leading into an input/output/test port 14 of the distribution tap 100. The signal is made available to the service drop ports 3 and then continues through the distribution tap through a line-out 17B at a second input/output/test port 14. One or more service drop cables 11 may be attached to the service drop ports 3 (see FIGS. 4 and 4a and the related discussion below with respect to service drop lines 11) and the signal from the line-in 17A will be carried through the service drop cable(s) 11 which may be attached to in this example a cable TV box or directly to a cable-ready TV. The line-out 17B may then carry the signal to down-line distribution taps for further distribution of the signal. It is typical that there is a pair of input/output/test ports 14 that lead to the same service drop ports 3. The line-in 17A may be attached to either one of the input pair and line-out 17B may be attached to either one of the output pair. A technician may then use special instruments inserted at the unused input/output/test port 14 to test various characteristics of the signal being carried.
Cable TV signals and many other telecommunications signals are commonly not made available free of charge. For example, cable TV subscribers must pay to obtain the signal being carried or supplied by the line-in 17A. Once a subscriber has paid, the cable TV provider attaches a service drop cable 11 to a service drop port 3 on a distribution tap 100 near the subscriber's house or place of business. Distribution taps 100 are commonly located in underground/aboveground storage devices such as vaults, on telephone poles or merely in a cable line. The storage devices may or may not be locked or secure. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain a cable TV or other telecommunications signal without paying a fee by illegally attaching a service drop cable 11 to an open unsecured service drop port 3.
There are existing devices to deter illegal tapping of distribution taps 100 and service drop ports 3. For example, service port terminators may be placed in unused service ports 3. However, the terminators are removed by a simple tool that is inexpensive and available for purchase from any number of online suppliers. Moreover, the tool simply makes it faster and easier to remove the terminator; there are several ways to remove a terminator even without a tool. Other devices include security sleeves that make it difficult to remove a service drop cable 11 from a filter 18 and attach it directly to a service port 3, see FIGS. 7 and 7a. There are also numerous devices that completely enclose distribution taps 100 and other connecting devices within a locking enclosure. Such devices preclude access to the test ports 14 unless the enclosure is unlocked. They are also cumbersome and move independently from the distribution tap 100.
Disclosed herein is a security cover that attaches directly to the distribution tap faceplate. Unlike the prior art that merely encloses the distribution tap, any attempt to cut or pry the security cover off will cause loss or decreased signal generating a trouble call. Prior art which completely enclosed the distribution tap but is not attached to it, could be opened without damaging the distribution tap thus enabling the removal of the distribution tap to gain access to the ports. The disclosed security cover, being attached directly to the distribution tap does not depend on walls or mounting surfaces other than the distribution tap faceplate, although the assembled security cover and distribution tap may be attached to walls or other mounting services as desired. The access holes for the service drop cables on the security cover are designed to be small so no tools or any other means can be used to attach cable to an open port on the tap unlike the relatively large entry paths on prior art devices. Other benefits of the disclosed security cover over the prior art include: easy access to the input/output/test ports without unlocking the security cover; designed gaps within the security cover to prevent water damage to the distribution tap; installation can be in underground/aboveground storage devices, telephone poles or on-line aerial locations; the compact design will not interfere with size constraints of small or crowded vaults or interfere with each other in multiple tap chains; the design allows for a minimum bend radius for the cable drops to be maintained; and no other security devices i.e. port terminator or sleeves need to be installed when using the security cover.